The Benefits Office wishes to remind all Berkeley Lab employees that the deadline for making health and welfare changes to University of California benefit plans during the November Open Enrollment period is tomorrow, Nov. 27, at midnight. This information corrects the “days left” notice in this morning’s regular edition of Today at Berkeley Lab

To make changes to your personal benefits plan, go here. All actions have an effective date of Jan. 1, 2008. Staff who are not making changes to their 2008 benefit plans do not need to take action during Open Enrollment. However, you must enroll or re-enroll in flexible spending accounts during Open Enrollment. These accounts are the Health Care Reimbursement Account (HCRA) or Dependent Care Reimbursement Account (DepCare). To access a Flexible Spending Account calculator for HCRA and DepCare, go here.

Employees who are currently enrolled in PacifiCare must select another medical plan option, or they will be defaulted into Health Net. Also, the legal plan, ARAG, is open for new enrollment.

Employees making changes to their benefit plans are reminded to submit and confirm their selection to finalize the online transaction. The confirmation number should be kept on record. If multiple changes are made at different times during open enrollment, then the last confirmation before tomorrow will be the

one the system will apply.

Open enrollment is an opportunity for staff to review their beneficiary designations for life insurance and retirement plans. Beneficiary designations do not automatically change when there is change in family status, such as a marriage or divorce. Go here to check designations for health benefits and here for retirement.

If you can’t remember your At Your Service Online password to make open enrollment changes, you have three options to obtain a new one. You can have a temporary password e-mailed to you using your e-mail address of record; if you have provided answers to the “challenge questions,” you may set a new password after answering three of the questions; or if you have not yet set your challenge questions, you may contact the UC Customer Service Center (1-800-888-8267). The Berkeley Lab Benefits Office can also assist in resetting passwords; call x6403 or e-mail to [email protected].